Chapter Three-Hundred Nine

    Rocky

    The zombie fidgets in his corner as he looks across the ring at Olander. From the elf’s own fidgeting, he might be more eager to get back out there than even Rocky! He smiles around his mouthguard as the first round replays in his mind, savoring and analyzing every moment of the fight.

    Olander is at a disadvantage if Rocky can get inside his reach, but his experience with that glaive gives him very few chances to do that. He feels like he has a better handle on Olander’s fighting style, now, but he doesn’t let that inflate his confidence. Not only will Olander have a better idea of the zombie’s style, but adding in affinities will surely change a lot in how the next round will go.

    If Olander’s affinity usage is anything like how he fights, it’ll be simple yet brutally effective and efficient. No movement was wasted in their first clash, every attack and counter, every block and parry, was done with precision. He’ll eat his gloves if Olander doesn’t wield his kinetic affinity similarly.

    He can’t wait to see how the elf handles mixed affinities. He looks eager, not worried, so he has to have some way of dealing with them. Rocky sets his mouthguard as the bell rings, putting up his dukes to see just what Olander has in mind for this round.

    The two circle for a few moments, channeling their affinities and looking for any weakness in their foe. Neither finds one, so Olander initiates with the advantage of his reach. Rocky can feel the kinetic energy in the blade rapidly spike as Olander does a deceptively-simple swipe.

    His first instinct is to steal the energy, but his gut says that’d be a fool’s gambit. With that much experience, and seemingly just the one affinity, there’s no way Rocky is wrenching control away that easily from the elf.

    But that doesn’t mean he’s without options.

    His right moves in an uppercut as he channels his own kinetic affinity, creating a blade of raw force to counteract the attack. He hardly hears the cheer of the crowd as the forces meet and send a shower of sparks up into the air. Most would take it as the energy being neutralized, but energy doesn''t vanish.

    It just changes form.

    Kinetic loves to make heat, and that’s exactly what Rocky wants. He seizes the energy with his fire affinity, bolstering it as he forms ice around a fist, and brings the flaming attack down on Olander!

    Rocky is forced on the defensive once again, this time using his ice as armor. He learned long ago from sparring with Fluffles: telekinesis is hard to parry, so use armor. Ice is great for how well it absorbs energy, and though Olander is very efficient, he’s not perfect. Rocky can slowly siphon energy from him, but does he have the time to take to wear the elf down, before he gets sliced into an undead ice sculpture?

    He doubts it, so he steps up his own offense. They trade blows, Olander’s armor collecting more dents and scratches, but still holding. Rocky’s ice gets chipped away, but his fiery attacks let him siphon more heat away to make more. It’s quickly apparent to Rocky that this is not a winning strategy. Olander’s armor is not doing well, but the elf himself seems just as full of energy as ever! If Rocky is going to do something, he needs to do it soon.

    He taps into his mental affinity, still not very practiced with it, but he doesn’t need to attack with it. He needs to come up with something. And he gets an idea. He redoubles his efforts, subtly shifting his attacks. He still uses primarily fire, but a bit of kinetic gives him a bit more punch, just not where Olander seems to be expecting it.

    Each time Rocky is blocked by the spinning haft of Olander’s glaive is another step towards victory for the zombie. He has to go slowly, or the elf might notice. He listens to the hum of the glaive as he keeps attacking, the low sound slowly getting louder and louder with each hit, each small pulse of kinetic force vibrating along the entire weapon, raw kinetic giving way to harmonious sonic, singing the sound of victory.

    Rocky drops his dukes just a hair, giving Olander an opening that the elf can’t help but take advantage of. He’s already shifted to a thrust empowered with kinetic force before he realizes his weapon doesn’t feel quite right. But by then, it’s too late.

    One hand comes up from underneath the glaive, hitting it right behind the head and striking with the building resonance before the other hand comes down. He hits right at the middle of the haft, staying in tune to the beat of the weapon’s vibration, and a snap rings across the arena just before the bell does.

    He grins in triumph and holds out half of Olander’s glaive to the elf, who looks shocked.

    “Is that victory for Rocky?!” exclaims Aranya to the roar of the crowd.

    The elf’s confusion quickly gives way to a laugh as he accepts the rest of his weapon. “Not on your life!” he shouts as he turns to walk back to his corner and starts digging through his bag.

    “Can I get a longer break between rounds this time? I need to put on my best for this! I didn’t think I’d need to, but I’m glad to be wrong!”

    Rocky grins at that and nods before strutting to his own corner to watch whatever Olander has cooking. If he’s bringing out his best, maybe Rocky can, too.